The match between Misr Makasa and Zamalek, played in Al-Geish’s stadium in Suez, ended by Misr Makasa’s victory 1-0.
The referee of this match was Gehad Gerisha, whose several faults made Zamalek almost withdraw from the match.
The major crisis was not calling a penalty in the minute 65 in favour of Zamalek, when Misr Makasa’s defender Ahmed Samy touched the ball with his hand.
Zamalek’s players, as well as the coaching board under the direction of Mohamed Helmy, objected to the referee sleeping on this penalty.
This is not the first time Gerisha does not call a penalty for Zamalek. This was why Zamalek president Mortada Mansour requested on several occasions that Gerisha does not referee any of Zamalek’s games.
In the 2011-2012 season, in a match Zamalek and Talaea Al Geish played, the score ended 1-1. Gerisha did not call three penalties in Zamalek’s favour, after Al-Gaish’s defender Sameh Hasan touched the ball with his hand on three different occasions. This led to a crisis between Gerisha and Zamalek.
Throughout the season 2015-2016 of the Egyptian Premier League, Zamalek also faced Misr Makasa in a match that ended 2-2. Gerisha then continued not calling penalties in Zamalek’s favour. This was why Mansour requested from the referees’ committee that they don’t allow Gerisha to referee any match Zamalek plays.
Gerisha’s faults did not only affect Zamalek. For instance, the match played at the Egyptian Premier League for the season 2016-2017, between Zamalek and the Port Said team of Al-Masry saw a major slip from the referee’s end. In two occasions, Zamalek’s midfielder Mahmoud Abdel Aty, known as Dunga, touched the ball with his hand and no penalties were called against Zamalek. After Gerisha complimented Zamalek against Al-Masry, Mansour requested the absence of Gerisha in a match where Zamalek would play.
During the same season, in a match played between Al-Masry and Al-Ahly, a penalty should have been recognised in the minute 84, in favour of Al-Masry’s Ahmed Salem Safy, against Al-Ahly’s defender Hussein Al-Saeyd. Afterwards, a penalty was called for Al-Ahly. The match ended 3-1 to Al-Ahly, an act that provoked Al-Masry head coach, Hossam Hassan.
